Technological progress has enabled the cost effective development and deployment of increasingly powerful applications and services. Some wireless networks provide users with location based services (LBS). LBS's can use the location, or approximate location, of a wireless device to provide services to a user. Network operators can also use location information in analysis of infrastructure, usage patterns, and the like. For example, some wireless devices now include global positioning system (GPS) capability for determining the location of the wireless device for navigation, emergency, or other purposes. Some devices include other systems and methods for determining the location of the device such as, but not limited to, triangulation using cellular network and/or WiFi resources, assisted GPS, satellite links, and the like.
Presence applications allow a user to share his or her availability with others. Device clients, such as instant messaging clients, provide options for a user to select their presence status (i.e., available, unavailable, away, idle, etc.). These clients are used primarily for fixed access devices, such as computers. In recent years, however, advances in wireless device technology have enabled wireless devices to run complex application, such as instant messaging clients.
Calendar applications allow users to keep track of daily activities, events, meetings, and appointments. Synchronization technologies allow multiple devices, both fixed and wireless, to be synchronized such that calendar entries that are added, deleted, or otherwise changed on one device are reflected on each device for which the user has a synchronized calendar. Mobile email applications and address book applications are often combined with calendar functionality, and similar synchronization technologies are used to synchronize email and address book entries.
The sophistication of wireless devices, wireless networks, and wireless device users are making some sophisticated device capabilities more commonplace. As the number of users employing location, presence, calendar, email, and address book applications and corresponding services rises, the network and device infrastructure needed to support these services may need to be improved to provide an enjoyable customer experience.